Chapter 36

Yohan fired his gun once more to draw the zombies’ attention toward him. Waves of zombies surged toward him like a flood, threatening to engulf him completely. Shoving aside the advancing zombies with his shoulders, Yohan maneuvered through the chaotic horde.

Even though he was used to such situations, the nature of the task, where even a single mistake could prove fatal, always kept him on edge.

After breaking through the encirclement of zombies to some extent, he began herding them slowly to ensure none strayed. Like rats following the Pied Piper, the zombies trailed behind Yohan in a line.

While herding the zombies, Yohan called Jung-hwan over the radio.

“Jung-hwan.”

“Yes, hyung? Where are you?”

“I’m almost there. I sent the others ahead. Now, evacuate everyone from the parking lot.”

“What? Why?”

“There are too many zombies nearby. It’ll attract their attention, so evacuate the parking lot now.”

“Yes, yes!”

Once Yohan herded the zombies to the center area between the mart and the department store, he sprinted at full speed into a nearby shopping complex. He slipped inside and locked the door behind him, keeping the zombies at bay as they slammed against the glass doors.

The zombies pounded on the glass furiously, threatening to shatter it, but Yohan estimated it would hold for a while. He quietly slipped out through the exit on the other side and continued moving stealthily.

Inside the mart, four vagrants and eight soldiers were newly gathered.

The vagrants appeared relieved, thinking they had found a safe haven, even though they had been disarmed. In contrast, the soldiers’ faces were marked with anxiety and irritation.

“Hyung!”

Jung-hwan, drenched in sweat and holding a pistol to keep the soldiers at bay, shouted with a face full of relief when he saw Yohan. Yohan patted him on the shoulder a couple of times before turning to the soldiers.

“You did well.”

“Not really.”

Jung-hwan’s courage to hold his ground in front of armed soldiers was impressive. He was growing steadily.

The soldiers, however, showed visible discomfort as the camp’s population continued to grow. Their unease intensified as they observed the scouting party covered in zombie blood, gripping their weapons tightly in suspicion.

Yohan quickly scanned the soldiers. One officer, one noncommissioned officer, and six enlisted men. They appeared to be a squad or platoon searching for supplies. This likely wasn’t their entire group.

‘The rest must be guarding a transport vehicle somewhere.’

A single platoon wasn’t a significant threat. For someone like Yohan, who had considered the worst-case scenario of annihilating them all, it was a manageable situation.

The soldiers were clean in appearance, suggesting they hadn’t been through many battles. Their disciplined postures and their adherence to formation, even in this chaos, indicated that they were not mere vagrants imitating soldiers but properly trained military personnel. Yohan addressed the officer standing at the forefront.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Yohan.”

“Are you in charge here?”

The lieutenant offered a slight bow in response to Yohan’s greeting.

“Yes. May I ask what this is about again?”

The lieutenant’s evident annoyance at having to repeat himself was quickly subdued as he suppressed his irritation and explained once more.

If they had malicious intent, they would likely have resorted to threats rather than explanations. This realization lessened Yohan’s tension slightly.

“I’m Lieutenant Ahn Jun-min from the Yakdaedong Reserve Battalion. We’re securing civilian supplies under wartime emergency protocols due to depleted resources. Your cooperation would be appreciated.”

Yakdaedong Reserve Battalion?

Yohan’s expression subtly shifted. A reserve battalion wasn’t something to be overly concerned about, even if it came to an armed conflict. The thought brought him some relief, though it raised several questions.

How had a reserve battalion, not a combat unit, survived this long? How had they managed to maintain their chain of command? And, more puzzlingly, why had they come all the way here, bypassing numerous other marts and department stores in the area?

“This is under Yakdaedong Battalion jurisdiction, is it?”

In the current chaos, military jurisdictions hardly mattered, but Yohan wanted to avoid unnecessary friction with the military. The army could be a bothersome entity if antagonized.

Yohan’s question was polite. However, it seemed accusatory to Lieutenant Ahn, whose face turned awkward.

“Well…”

A brief hesitation.

‘It’s not.’

Yohan’s mind raced as he grasped the critical detail.

The platoon didn’t have any ammunition.

“We’ve been away from the battalion for some time and have been wandering from place to place, which eventually led us here. We hope for your understanding and cooperation.”

“As you can see, we have many mouths to feed here. This isn’t our entire group; there are survivors in other camps as well. I’m sorry, but could you procure supplies elsewhere? There are plenty of places around here.”

Yohan’s refusal was as diplomatic as possible. At the same time, he was testing his theory to turn his suspicion into certainty.

The city was a chaos-filled mess, teeming with marts and large stores. Depending on one’s interpretation, Yohan’s words could be construed as a mild rebuke: why pick this place with survivors instead of other countless stores?

You’re out of bullets, aren’t you?

That’s why you avoided zombie-infested locations and came here to take advantage.

Perhaps understanding Yohan’s veiled insinuation, the lieutenant’s face turned red with anger. His voice grew sharper.

“If you refuse to cooperate, we’ll proceed by force. Keep in mind that while you are civilians, this is a wartime situation. We don’t want to harm anyone.”

Lieutenant Ahn’s gaze fixated on the firearm slung over Yohan’s shoulder. Observing how the lieutenant was paying so much attention to his weapon, Yohan was now certain.

Well, then.

The decision didn’t take long.

“We’ll cooperate.”

Hearing Yohan’s agreement, the lieutenant’s face lit up with relief. However, Yohan quickly added, “But on one condition.”

“What… condition?”

Even if he tolerated their shamelessness, he wouldn’t let them have it for free.

“Answer my questions. Given the situation, I’m quite curious about a few things.”

“What kind of questions? As long as it doesn’t compromise operational security, I’ll answer.”

At the lieutenant’s reply, Yohan nodded.

“Are you still in contact with higher command? Are there plans for zombie eradication or civilian rescue?”

The questions were sharp and straightforward. After a brief hesitation, the lieutenant replied.

“It’s been some time since we’ve received orders from division or corps command. We’re stuck in limbo.”

“How long have you been out of your base?”

“About a week.”

Wandering around for a week without securing supplies meant the platoon leader had considerable pride.

“That’s quite some time. Have you tried contacting your base recently?”

This time, the lieutenant hesitated to answer.

“Contact has been severed.”

“…We haven’t been able to reach the battalion for several days. That’s why we need to hurry.”

“How did you get here? The nearby roads are all blocked, from what I understand.”

“The roads are blocked, which is why we ended up here. Pyeongcheon Road and Songnae Boulevard were the only routes with some clearance.”

That explained their peculiar route. They must have driven their transport vehicle as far as Songnae Boulevard before proceeding westward on foot, eventually stumbling upon this location. Yohan now understood their strange path.

“How many personnel are in your unit? Are they all from the same battalion?”

“That’s classified.”

It was the most critical question, and Yohan hid his disappointment, nodding slightly.

Though Yohan’s questions were disguised as innocent curiosity from a fellow survivor, they were actually calculated to gather details about the unit—whether they were isolated, how much firepower they had, and whether they posed a significant threat.

Ultimately, Yohan concluded that they were stragglers. Even if they managed to return to their unit, they would likely be met only by zombified comrades.

In his memories of the zombie apocalypse, the South Korean military had collapsed from the top down. The floodgates had burst at the Ministry of National Defense and the headquarters of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the devastation had swept down to the corps, divisions, and brigades.

Oddly enough, smaller, specialized units, air defense battalions, or armored brigades with overwhelming firepower had managed to hold out the longest—until supply shortages and internal strife eventually led to their downfall.

In short, they either withered away or were overrun by zombie waves. Worse, some units fell apart because an injured soldier turned into a zombie during lights-out, destroying the barracks, or because internal power struggles among officers tore them apart.

Yohan had always avoided military units in his previous life, so he didn’t know the full details. But by now, the command structure would be completely broken, with regiments and battalions acting independently to survive.

It was best to show goodwill and send them on their way, all the while preparing for the worst—eliminating them if their behavior turned hostile. Given the hierarchical culture of the military, alliances with stragglers seemed unlikely. Yohan hadn’t expected much from the beginning.

“How much food do you need?”

Lieutenant Ahn glanced around the storage area before replying, “About half of what’s here should suffice.”

Yohan’s expression hardened slightly. Murmurs spread among the camp survivors. Half was an enormous amount—more than they could possibly carry. From the back, Seri folded her arms and muttered sharply.

“Aren’t they just outright robbers?”

Her cutting words froze the room. No one scolded her because everyone felt the same way.

“What did you say, you brat?”

“Hey, you soldiers! Can’t you see how many people are here? Do you even know how we managed to gather all this food before you spout such nonsense?”

“Shut up, you little—!”

The sergeant next to Lieutenant Ahn shouted, but Seri fired back defiantly, “I won’t! What are you going to do about it?”

Yohan didn’t bother stopping Seri. The demand was absurd, even to him. Instead, he calmly added, “Don’t insult my people. If there’s one more act of disrespect, this cooperation is over.”

“But she started it…”

“Sergeant Park, that’s enough,” Lieutenant Ahn intervened, stopping his subordinate.

Despite witnessing the survivors’ reactions, the lieutenant showed no intention of reducing the requested amount. Half. This is what happens when you show goodwill—they take it as a right. Yohan replied nonchalantly. After all, even if he agreed, they wouldn’t be able to carry it all.

“Take it.”

“Hyung!”
“Oppa!”

Voices erupted in protest. Even Jung-hwan, who rarely opposed Yohan, raised his voice.

Food was life itself. Even with additional supplies unknown to the soldiers, losing half of the valuable resources in the camp would be a significant blow.

“Trust me,” Yohan reassured.

At those words, Seri and Jung-hwan immediately quieted. For them, “trust me” was more than enough. There was no need to question Yohan’s judgment; the answer was always clear.

“You said your vehicles are on Jungdong Avenue. How do you plan to transport such a large amount?” Yohan asked.

“We’ll make multiple trips at our own pace. Don’t worry,” Lieutenant Ahn replied confidently.

Seri muttered quietly, “So smug.” Yohan suppressed a chuckle and responded, “Very well. Go ahead.”

“Thank you for your cooperation. Sergeant Park, move the supplies to the parking lot with the others.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the soldiers busied themselves with the supplies, Yohan shrugged. Fine, go ahead and try.

Once the soldiers left, accusatory gazes turned toward Yohan.

“Hyung, what were you thinking?”

“Oppa, I kept quiet because you told us to trust you, but what’s the plan?”

“Don’t worry,” Yohan replied. “They’re not leaving this place with all that food.”

“What? Why?”

Why? Because there’s a horde of zombies waiting outside.